List of ambassadors of the United States to Malta

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Ambassador of the United States to Malta
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Gwendolyn S. Green
Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
since August 31, 2020
ResidenceVilla Apap Bologna [1]
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder
as Chargé d'affaires ad interim
FormationSeptember 21, 1964
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Valletta

This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Malta. Initially a part of the British Empire, Malta was granted full independence as the State of Malta on September 21, 1964. The United States recognized the new nation and established full diplomatic relations after its independence, and retained relations after Malta became a republic in 1974. was appointed as the first American diplomat in Malta as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim until an ambassador could be commissioned.

Embassy[]

Main article: Embassy of the United States, Attard

The Embassy of the United States in Malta was first established in the capital Valletta, on September 21, 1964. It eventually moved to Sliema, and in 1974 it moved again to Floriana, a suburb of the Maltese capital.[2] On 4 July 2011, the embassy was moved once again to a larger complex in Ta' Qali National Park in Attard.[3] The embassy's website still lists its location as "Valletta".[2]

The ambassador's official residence is Villa Apap Bologna, also located in Attard.[1]

Ambassadors[]

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
Name Title Appointed Presented Credentials Terminated Mission Notes
George J. Feldman – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 22, 1965 October 5, 1965 September 6, 1967
Hugh H. Smythe – Political appointee October 18, 1967 December 29, 1967 August 16, 1969
John C. Pritzlaff, Jr. – Political appointee July 8, 1969 September 4, 1969 February 24, 1972
John I. Getz – Career FSO February 15, 1972 March 9, 1972 July 18, 1974
Robert P. Smith – Career FSO July 23, 1974 September 24, 1974 October 29, 1976
Lowell Bruce Laingen[a] – Career FSO November 17, 1976 January 11, 1977 January 20, 1979
Joan Margaret Clark – Career FSO March 21, 1979 March 26, 1979 February 21, 1981
Frank P. Wardlaw Chargé d’Affaires a.i. February 1981 - August 1982
James Malone Rentschler – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 18, 1982 October 19, 1982 July 26, 1985
Gary L. Matthews – Career FSO August 1, 1985 September 19, 1985 May 23, 1987
Peter R. Sommer – Political appointee September 28, 1987 October 9, 1987 October 8, 1989
Sally J. Novetzke – Political appointee October 10, 1989 November 9, 1989 February 28, 1993
William A. Moffitt Chargé d’Affaires a.i. February 1993 - June 1994
Charles N. Patterson, Jr. June 1994 - July 1994
Joseph R. Paolino, Jr. – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 9, 1994 July 6, 1994 June 2, 1996
Charles N. Patterson, Jr. Chargé d’Affaires a.i. June 1996 - July 1997
Elizabeth Barnett July 1997 - January 1998
Kathryn Linda Haycock Proffitt – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary November 10, 1997 January 8, 1998 March 1, 2001
Anthony H. Gioia – Political appointee July 12, 2001 September 6, 2001 December 7, 2004
Alexander R. Kingfisher Chargé d’Affaires a.i. December 2004 - June 2005
Molly H. Bordonaro – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 21, 2005 September 7, 2005 Early February, 2009
Douglas Kmiec - Political appointee September 2, 2009 September 17, 2009 June 2011
Richard M. Mills Chargé d’Affaires a.i. June 2011 - May 2012
Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley - Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 29, 2012 May 2, 2012 January 13, 2016
G. Kathleen Hill - Career FSO January 13, 2016 February 25, 2016 September 29, 2018
Mark A. Schapiro Chargé d’Affaires a.i. September 29, 2018 - August 31, 2020
Gwendolyn S. Green August 31, 2020 - Incumbent


See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Laingen was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on September 15, 1977. Laingen was the chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran at the time of the Iran hostage crisis.

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Ħ'Attard: Important Residences". lc.gov.mt. Local Councils. 14 January 2018. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Policy & History". U.S. Embassy in Malta. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018.
  3. ^ Zammit, Rosanne (29 June 2011). "US embassy completed at Ta' Qali – no word on new ambassador". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 24 May 2017.

External links[]

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